149 



NOTES FROM THE LOG-BOOK OF AN ERRATIC MAN. 

 No. VI. TOBACCO. 



I DO not propose to tell your readers what seed to sow, how to culti- 

 vate the plant, when to gather, nor how to cure it ; but rather to 

 amuse them with a characteristic sketch of an old and esteemed ship- 

 mate, of whom I have long lost sight, and who I would fain hope has 

 found a comfortable retreat for his latter days in some quiet spot and 

 amongst kindred spirits, who would estimate his worth, and where 

 his few and simple wants are well supplied. If, like many more of 

 my shipmates, he lies buried in the deep blue sea, or in a foreign 

 strand, then let this little remembrance of him stand in the stead of 

 the far more enduring monument his virtues deserved. 



I was as tired as a foxhound after a hard run, and only too glad 

 to go below and jump half undressed into my cot at 8 o'clock p.m. 

 of a wintry night, when homeward bound from the Indian Isles. I 

 was soon in a profound sleep, and as insensible as the dead to the 

 howling of the wind and the noise of the angry sea, before which we 

 were scudding under a couple of reduced sails — nautically, a double- 

 reefed maintop-sail and reefed foresail. The weather was very foggy ; 

 before us lay the Western Islands, and our course was shaped for a 

 passage between St. Michael's and 'i'ercsira, towards which the old 

 ship, leaded with sugar, and as deep as a sand-barge, was rolling 

 along at some nine knots an hour. There was an ugly sea on, and 

 occasionally heavy squalls, with hail, snow, and sleet. I had not 

 been in the blankets a couple of hours, when I was awakened by the 

 captain. Half asleep, I was out of my cot in an instant, so startled 

 was I by the unusual occurrence of being called by him ; and my 

 surprise was by no means lessened at finding the water slushing across 

 my cabin-floor nearly ankle- deep, and keeping time with the rolling 

 of the ship. " There's two feet of water in the hold," he said to me 

 quietly and composedly, "and it increases ; all hands are turned out, 

 and the pumps going." 1 slipped on my watch-coat and shoes, 

 and immediately accompanied him upon deck. The weather was 

 worse, and the night as dark as a dungeon. The water was comino- 

 from the pumps, a disagreeable compound of salt and sweet, telling 

 too truly how the sugar-bags in the hold were being washed. What 

 to do was soon decided upon, and that was to heave the ship to, first 

 upon one tack, then upon the other ; and if that did not answer, to 

 throw all the sugar overboard that was stowed upon the lower deck, 

 about 700 bags. No time was to be lost ; and as soon as it could be 

 done, the foresail was furled and the maintop-sail close reefed, that 

 is, reduced in size as much as possible, and then, from running before 

 wind and ?ea, the ship was turned round to face them as much as a 

 sailing vessel can be made to do so. The object was to bring the 

 force of the wind so as to press one side into the water and propor- 

 tionately elevate the other. No sooner was this done than the leak, 

 to our great satisfaction, seemed stopped ; and the water was soon 

 so far reduced by the pumps, that the watch, or half the seamen, were 



